A fault is a fracture. It's a place where pressure builds until it releases.
✯✯✯ 1/2
I have been wanting to see Faults for a while, but didn't really know exactly what it was about until I happened upon it on Netflix instant. The premise is very intriguing, and plays on the idea of cults in a very well-done and unique manner. The majority of the film takes place in a motel, where a couple has hired Ansel (Leland Orser), a "deconstruction" professional and expert on cults. After they kidnap Claire, Ansel begins his process of "un-brainwashing" her, and Claire is very resistant at first. However, as they progress through the five-day process, strange things begin to happen to Claire that suggest that there is a deep secret that the parents are hiding.
The film begins as more of a comedy than a thriller. Ansel is first shown as a meek and awkward character who fumbles his way through life. Mick (Lance Reddick, whom I remember from the somewhat disappointing Bungie shooter-RPG Destiny) shows up near the beginning to inform Ansel that he still owes a large sum of money to Terry (Jon Gries). It is never once hinted why Ansel owes him money, or even what Terry does or manages. Gries and Reddick only show up in the film for a small amount of screen time as mild antagonists, and honestly distracted me from the much more interesting main plot. The side story felt rather unnecessary, and really didn't do much to advance or complexify the story.
However, when the film managed to focus on Ansel and Claire's budding relationship and the deconstruction, the film shows a much better side of itself. The story is unfolded through various conversational exchanges between the two, with Claire's parents showing up at various points to sort of "ground" her into reality. It wasn't necessarily a real driving point of the film, but it wasn't nearly as funny as I had hoped it would be. After the humorous opening scene of Ansel in the diner, there is little to no comedy, except perhaps a few awkward exchanges Ansel makes. The film managed to be more surreal than anything else, and although these parts got a little stranger than I had expected, it was a welcome change to the initially slow but methodical conversation-driven plot.
I'm not sure how I didn't manage to see Faults before now, or even hear of it until recently. It has a very unique and intricate story that makes the viewer question what really is happening. The occurrences that happen to Claire are great distractions, and make the film even hazier in its mystery than it initially was. The ending was a bit unexpected, and provided a humorous commentary on cults as a whole. The film would've greatly benefited from removing the side-plot, as it felt really unnecessary and distracted from the main draw of the film. If you can ignore the derailed side plot, the film is actually a really good endeavor, and a decent thriller that has many twists and turns in its intricate main story.